Track-sanding apparatus.



No. 642,843. Patented Feb. 6, I900. J. H. HANLON.

TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Oct. 6, 1899.)

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No. 642,843. I Patented Feb. 6, I900. J. H. HANLON.

TRACK SANDING APPARATUS.

, (Application filed Oct. 5, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Nrrnn STATES PATENT mes.

JOHN HENRY HANLON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,843, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed October 5, 1899. Serial No. 732,720. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY HANLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Track-Sanding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention has for its object to improve the construction of track-sanding apparatus; and it consists in making the base of the sand box reversible around its vertical axis, Whereby the delivery-pipes controlled by the handoperated valves may be arranged at the best possible angle to insure the flow of the sand to the rails.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive having my improved track'sanding apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the sandbox, a portion being broken away to show the upper end of one of the sand-delivery pipes or conduits which ext-end up within the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4 at of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is avertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4:.

In the said drawings, A represents the boiler of a locomotive-engine, and B the sand-box, which is secured to the base 0 by means of bolts a a, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, said base being secured to the boiler by bolts 1) 1).

cl d are the pneumatic sand-ports, located on opposite sides of the sand-box, each port communicating through a casing f, Fig. 1,

.with a sand-delivery pipe g, through which the sand is caused to pass to the rail by pneumatic devices (not here shown as they form no part of my present invention.)

' D is the floor of the sand-box, which is inclined downwardly in a straight line in opposite directions from a central transverse ridge or apex 25 to the pneumatic sand-ports (1 cl on opposite sides of the box, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby all the sand contained in the box is caused to pass by gravity to the said sandports and the complete emptying of the box insured, so that its entire contents may be utilized as desired instead of a portion of the sand remaining in the center of the floor, where it could not pass to the delivery or tracksanding pipes, as is the case where a flat or level floor is used, as heretofore.

On each side of the sand-box and communicating therewith is an auxiliary delivery or track-sanding pipe It, which also extends down to the rail outside of and close to the main or pneumatic sand-delivery pipe g, to which it is secured near the lower end or tip by a clasp 26, these pipes k k, to which the sand is admitted bya positively-opened hand-operated valve to be presently described, being intended for use in case the pneumatically-controlled sand-pipes g 9 should fail from any cause to operate by reason of the air-pump becomingderanged orbyotheraccident. The upper portions of the two auxiliary sand-delivery pipes or conduits consist of a casting E, made integral with the wall of the base 0 of the sand-box and to which the pipes la, forming a part of the same, are coupled at 30, said conduits being curved upward and converging, so that their open upper ends or months 31 will lie near together, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, the auxiliarysand-outlets being thus located near the outeredge or peripheryof the base of the sand-box.

Between the two open ends or'mouths 31 of the sand pipes or conduits is placed a vertical shaft m, to the upper end of which is secured at its center a disk valve H of sufficient diameter to extend over andcover the open ends or months 31 of both delivery-pipes, so as to exclude the sand therefrom, except when rotated around its center sufficiently to cause openings 33 in its periphery toregister with the months 31, When the sand will pass uniformly and in equal quantities to both of the track-sanding pipes 76 7c. The valve-shaft m is supported in a suitable bearing p, forming a part of the casting E, and has secured to its lower end, by aset-screw 34, a curved lever L, which passes through an opening 35 in the base 0 and has secured to its outer end a rod 36, extending to the cab of the locomotive, whereby the valve H may be positively turned more or less in either direction to uncover ,or

cover the months 31 of the delivery-pipes Zak, and thereby control the admission of sand thereto as may be desired, and by thus controlling both sand-outlets by a single valve without any intermediate complicated mechanism the equal distribution of the sand on both sides of the locomotive isrendered absolutely certain, while in case repairs should become necessary or it it should be required to remove the valve or replace it by a new 011e, it is simply necessary to loosen the setscreW 34 by means of a socket-wrench introduced through a cap-covered opening 37, Fig. 2, in the base 0, when the valve-shaft will be free to be removed with the valve by reaching down through the uncovered top of the sand-box, and in this manner I effect a material saving in time and labor by avoiding the necessity of removing the base 0 from the boiler, as heretofore, which is a great objection, as it is detrimental to its abestos covering or jacket.

The valve H is provided on its upper side with a series of vertical pins g, which as the valve is turned serve to disturb or break up the sand,it' caked or damp, so that its flow to the months 31 will be insured.

As shown in the drawings, the auxiliary track-sanding pipes 7c 7r enter the base 0 at the end nearest to the smoke-stack; but it is obvious that the base of the sand-box may be reversed by removing the bolts 1) b and turning it around its vertical axis a half-revolution, so as to reverse the position of the sandpipes 70 k, which will then enter the base at the rear end or that nearest to the engineers cab instead of the front end, as shown, and

by thus reversing the base 0 the auxiliary sand-delivery pipes maybe arranged for locomotives of different styles at the best possible angle to insure the free flow of the sand to the rails.

The above-described valve and its operative mechanism are exceedingly simple, readily accessible, and insure a uniform and equal supply of sand to the delivery-pipes on opposite sides of the locomotive, which is a very important consideration, as it avoids liability of strain or breakage of the machinery.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a track-sanding apparatus, the combina tion with a locomotive-boiler, of a sand-box base having a pair of sand-on tlets located near its outer edge or periphery, and made reversible around its vertical axis on the boiler, whereby the track-sanding pipes connected with said base may be arranged to project either from its front or rear end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Witness my hand this 3d day of October, A. D. 1899.

JOHN HENRY IIANLON.

In presence of P. E. TESCHEMACHER, L. I. BAsFoRD. 

